Network devices are generally arranged in a chassis or housing at a particular location in a communication system. Each network device arranged in a particular chassis may be configured, initialized, or otherwise managed using consoles external to the chassis. A drawback to prior systems is that each network device in a chassis requires a corresponding, dedicated console to handle the management operations of the associated network device. A further drawback is that the interface card of each network device in the chassis must maintain a dedicated connection to its corresponding console. Such a configuration of consoles and network devices adds costs and complexities to the management operations of communication systems.